Usability Enhancements

MicroStation V8 has a revised user interface to make it more intuitive and easier to use. The online help system now uses Microsoft HTML Help, contextual (right-click) menus are added for many operations, the Tool Settings window can be hidden until needed, and the main menu bar can be moved (floated) to a more convenient location.

To disable or reenable PopSet

To hide or show a tool

Mouse preferences

Mouse wheel preferences are in the "Mouse" category in the Preferences dialog box.

File menu changes

• Choosing Raster Manager opens the Raster Manager dialog box, which is used to attach and manage raster images.

• Choosing Models opens the Models dialog box, which is used to create and manage models in the active DGN file.

• The menu item Import > DWG/DXF is removed, as MicroStation V8 natively reads (and writes) DWG files.

• The menu item Import > VersaCAD 386 is removed.

• The menu item Export > DWG/DXF is removed, as MicroStation V8 natively writes (and reads) DWG files.

• The menu item Export > QuickVision is removed.

• The menu item Export > RIB is removed.

• Choosing Properties opens the Properties dialog box, which is used to review the open DGN file's general properties and usage statistics and change the file's design properties, such as title, subject, and client

• Icons highlight the New, Open, Save, Models, Print, and Send menu items.

Edit menu changes

• The menu item Object Links is renamed Links.

• The menu item Outline OLE Objects is removed.

• Choosing Update Links updates embedded or linked objects in the open DGN file.

• Icons highlight the Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy, Paste, and Find/Replace Text menu items.

Element menu changes

• The menu item Attributes is removed. The Attributes tool box, which is docked to the menu bar in MicroStation V8 as delivered, effectively replaces the Element Attributes dialog box.

• The menu item B-splines is renamed B-spline and 3D. Choosing this menu item opens the B-spline and 3D dialog box. This dialog box contains controls used to adjust 3D drawing settings as well as B-spline settings.

• Choosing Line Style > Custom and Line Style > Edit open the Line Styles and Line Style Editor dialog boxes, respectively.

• The menu item SmartSolids is removed.

• The menu item Text is renamed Text Styles as choosing it opens the Text Styles dialog box, which is used to create and modify text styles and to set the active text style.

Settings menu changes

Settings menu changes are as follows:

• The Tool Settings menu item is relocated from the Tools menu.

• Settings menu items Level > Symbology, Level > Names, and Level > Usage are removed. In MicroStation V8, their functions are superceded by the Level Display dialog box (Settings > Level > Display) and the Level Manager dialog box (Settings > Level > Manager).

• Choosing Rendering > Particle Tracing opens the Particle Tracing dialog box, which is used to adjust settings for rendering using particle tracing.

  Particle Tracing dialog box displaying standard settings.

• Choosing Settings > Snaps > AccuSnap opens the AccuSnap Settings dialog box, which is used to enable and disable AccuSnap and adjust its settings.

• There are changes to the names by which several snap modes are identified in the Settings > Snaps submenu.

Tools menu changes

Tools menu changes are as follows:

• Choosing Attributes opens the Attributes tool box, which is used to adjust the active level and symbology settings and to apply those settings to selected elements. This tool box supercedes the Element Attributes dialog box.

• The submenu Surface Modeling is relocated between the menu items References and View Control.

• The menu item Tool Boxes is relocated to near the bottom of the menu.

• The Tool Settings menu item is removed. If the Tool Settings window happens to be closed, to reopen it, simply select a tool that has tool settings.

• The Visualization Tools submenu is renamed Visualization.

• In the Visualization Tools submenu, the submenu item Rendering Tools is renamed Rendering.

• In the Visualization Tools submenu, the submenu item Animation Tools is renamed Animation.

• The Tool Settings menu item is relocated to the Settings menu.

Utilities menu changes

Utilities menu changes are as follows:

• The menu item MicroStation Link is renamed Connect Web Browser.

• The menu item Text Glossary is removed.

• Choosing Render > Particle Trace generates particle tracing solutions.

• Choosing Data Cleanup opens the Design File Cleanup dialog box, which is used to identify duplicate elements, overlapping elements and/or gaps between elements in the open DGN file.

• Choosing Packager opens the Create Package wizard, which is used to create a project archive or package.

• Choosing Macro > Macros opens the Macros dialog box, which is used to used to create, run, edit, and debug Visual Basic (VBA) macros. The dialog box used to run, edit, or debug MicroStation BASIC macros is opened by choosing Macro > MicroStation BASIC.

• Choosing Macro > Visual Basic Editor starts the Microsoft Visual Basic application.

• Choosing Batch Converter opens the Batch Convert dialog box, which is used to convert individual files, or entire directories of files from any of the design file formats supported by MicroStation V8 to any other supported format.

• Choosing Batch Process opens the Batch Process dialog box, which is used to create and run key-in scripts on individual files or entire directories of files.

• Choosing Macro > Project Manager opens the VBA Project Manager dialog box, which serves as MicroStation V8's integrated development environment for VBA.

• The menu item Macros is renamed Macro > MicroStation BASIC.

• The menu item Create Macro is renamed Macro > Create BASIC Macro.

• The menu item MDL Applications is relocated to the bottom of the Utilities menu.

• The User Command submenu and all of its items are removed.

With the introduction of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) in MicroStation V8, the User Command (UCM) macro language is now obsolete. However, to ease transition difficulties, the UCM interpreter has not been removed from MicroStation V8. User commands (UCMs) generally fall into one of two categories: those that “drive” MicroStation by simulating user input or key-ins, and those that manipulate elements via the DGNBUF memory variables. UCMs in the latter category are “hard coded” with element memory locations that are incorrect for the new element layouts in MicroStation V8, and they will generate an error if you attempt to run them. However, UCMs in the former category will load properly and likely continue to work with MicroStation V8. In both cases, though, there are better and more efficient techniques for accomplishing the same results with VBA, and you are encouraged to convert UCMs to Visual Basic macros as soon as is practical. The User Command subsystems will be removed from a future release of MicroStation.

Window menu changes

Window menu changes are as follows:

• The menu item Views > Dialog opens or closes the View Groups window.

• The menu item Groups is removed.

Help menu changes

Help menu changes are as follows:

Tree controls

Several dialog boxes in MicroStation V8, most notably the Level Manager and References dialog boxes, employ collapsible and expandable “tree” controls. Tree controls are used in dialog boxes to navigate settings related to hierarchical objects. The Help window also employs “tree controls”; these controls are in the table of contents frame.

Fence usage

In addition to the significant production enhancements for fence operations, MicroStation V8 has the following fence usability enhancements:

• MicroStation V8 provides visual feedback identifying the current fence mode in the fence item of the status bar.

• You can change the fence mode from the same control in the status bar.

Measuring

Measuring tools display the result of their most recent usage — that is, the last measurement — in the Tool Settings window. These values can be selected and copied to the Clipboard.

Primary Tools and Attributes tool boxes

The Primary Tools tool box is split into two tool boxes — Primary Tools and Attributes.

Selecting tools

You can activate (select) any MicroStation tool from the Help window. For example, if the Measure Length tool's help topic is displayed in the Help window, clicking the tool icon image or the link text “Use it!” below the icon image opens the Measure tool box, if it is not already open, and selects the Measure Length tool.

Status bar messages

The Message Center window enables you to review error, warning, and information messages previously displayed in the status bar, including messages displayed too briefly to have been read.

To open the Message Center window

The Message Center indicator in the status bar displays an icon indicating the type of message displayed since the Message Center window was last opened. The following table describes the message types and icons in order from most severe to least severe.

You can change the maximum number of messages saved for display in the Message Center window. The default is 50.

To change the maximum number of messages saved for display in the Message Center window

You can save all messages in a text file.

To save all messages saved for display in the Message Center to a text file

DGN file properties and usage statistics

You can review the open DGN file's general properties and usage statistics and change the file's design properties, such as title, subject, and client, using the Properties dialog box (File > Properties).

The title property is distinct from the filename in the file system. The latter is a general property and is displayed on the dialog box's General tab.

Key-in window

The Key-in window is enhanced. You can more easily recall previous key-ins and access individual MDL application command tables. Furthermore, you can access the keyword list boxes while the Key-in window is docked.

Icons

Throughout MicroStation V8, tool icon artwork is enhanced for greater legibility and relevancy.